Modular radial impeller drum with variable blade segments for printing devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689214-B1
Application number	US-201816228294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A modular radial impeller drum for cooling print media in a printing device are disclosed. For example, the modular radial impeller drum includes a plurality of impeller modules coupled together to form a surface to transport the print media. Each one of the plurality of impeller modules includes a cylindrical outer surface, a cylindrical center axis inside of the cylindrical outer surface, and a plurality of impeller blades coupled between the cylindrical outer surface and the cylindrical center axis, wherein the plurality of impeller blades the plurality of impeller modules is varied across a length of the modular radial impeller drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular radial impeller drum for cooling print media in a printing device, comprising:
a plurality of impeller modules coupled together to form a surface to transport the print media, wherein each one of the plurality of impeller modules, comprises:
a cylindrical outer surface;
a cylindrical center axis inside of the cylindrical outer surface; and
a plurality of impeller blades coupled between the cylindrical outer surface and the cylindrical center axis, wherein the plurality of impeller blades of the plurality of impeller modules is varied across a length of the modular radial impeller drum.

2. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades are varied by removing a portion of a surface area of at least one of the plurality of impeller blades.

3. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades have different amounts of the surface area removed for each one of the plurality of impeller modules.

4. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 3 , wherein an amount of the surface area that is removed for the plurality of impeller blades increases for impeller modules of the plurality of impeller modules that are further away from an air source.

5. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades are varied by changing a number of the plurality of impeller blades on the plurality of impeller modules.

6. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 5 , wherein the number of the plurality of impeller blades increases for impeller modules of the plurality of impeller modules that are further away from an air source.

7. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades of the plurality of impeller modules is varied by changing a pitch of the plurality of impeller blades of each one of the plurality of impeller modules.

8. The a modular radial impeller drum of claim 7 , wherein the pitch of the plurality of impeller blades is increased as the plurality of impeller modules are located further away from an air source.

9. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of impeller modules are coupled together such that the plurality of impeller blades of each one of the plurality of impeller modules is aligned with increasing pitch.

10. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades of a first subset of the plurality of impeller modules are aligned and the plurality of impeller blades of a second subset of the plurality of impeller modules are misaligned.

11. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 1 , wherein the length of the modular radial impeller drum is greater than 20 inches.

12. The modular radial impeller drum of claim 1 , wherein the each one of the plurality of impeller modules are fabricated from aluminum.

13. A cooler module of a printing device, comprising:
at least one modular radial impeller drum; and
at least one blower coupled to an end of the first modular radial impeller drum to provide an air flow across a length of the at least one modular radial impeller drum, wherein the at least one modular radial impeller drum maintains the air flow at a constant velocity across the length of the at least one modular radial impeller drum, wherein the at least one modular radial impeller drum comprises a plurality of impeller modules, wherein each one of the plurality of impeller modules, comprises:
a cylindrical outer surface;
a cylindrical center axis inside of the cylindrical outer surface; and
a plurality of impeller blades coupled between the cylindrical outer surface and the cylindrical center axis, wherein the plurality of impeller blades of the plurality of impeller modules is varied across the length of the modular radial impeller drum to maintain the constant velocity of the air flow.

14. The cooler module of the printing device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one modular radial impeller drum comprises a plurality of modular radial impeller drums located adjacent to each other and to receive a print media between the plurality of modular radial impeller drums.

15. The cooler module of the printing device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one blower comprises a plurality of blowers, wherein each one of the plurality of blowers are coupled to an end of a respective one of the plurality of modular radial impeller drums.

16. The cooler module of the printing device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades are varied by removing a portion of a surface area of at least one of the plurality of impeller blades.

17. The cooler module of the printing device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades have different amounts of the surface area removed for each one of the plurality of impeller modules.

18. The cooler module of the printing device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades are varied by changing a number of the plurality of impeller blades on the plurality of impeller modules.

19. The cooler module of the printing device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of impeller blades of the plurality of impeller modules is varied by changing a pitch of the plurality of impeller blades of each one of the plurality of impeller modules.

20. A modular radial impeller drum for cooling print media in a printing device, comprising:
a plurality of impeller modules coupled together to form a surface to transport the print media that has a length that is approximately equal to a width of the print media, wherein each one of the plurality of impeller modules are casted from aluminum and comprises:
a cylindrical outer surface;
a cylindrical center axis inside of the cylindrical outer surface, wherein the plurality of impeller modules are coupled together via a shaft that runs through the cylindrical center axis of each one of the plurality of impeller modules; and
a plurality of impeller blades coupled between the cylindrical outer surface and the cylindrical center axis, wherein each one of the plurality of impeller blades are angled, wherein the plurality of impeller blades of the plurality of impeller modules is varied by at least one of: a change in surface area of the plurality of impeller blades, a number of impeller blades per impeller module, or a change in pitch of the plurality of impeller blades of each one of the plurality of impeller modules, across a length of the modular radial impeller drum.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Campbell Richard A
• Knopp Daniel Raymond
• Shelhart Timothy Gordon

Classifications

• B65H2402/60

  Coupling, adapter or locking means · CPC title

• G03G15/6573

  Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing · CPC title

• B65H2701/11312

  large formats, i.e. above A3 · CPC title

• B65H2404/1375

  means for assemble/disassemble · CPC title

• B65H2404/1363

  air supply or suction · CPC title